B.C. MAN DENIES TIES TO CHINESE CORRUPTION
Says he’s not the fugitive wanted by Interpol
VANCOUVER • They look alike, have near identical names and are related to a former highranking member of China’s ruling Communist party who was expelled for corruption. But are Michael Ching and Muyang Cheng the same man?
Michael Ching, through his representatives, denies that he and Muyang Cheng are the same man.
Ching is a prominent Vancouver property developer with strong political connections to the Liberal Party of Canada, and often appears at local fundraising events. He also goes by another name, Mo Yeung Ching.
Cheng, 45, is a Chinese fugitive who reportedly fled to Canada in 2000 with millions of dollars of ill-gotten money. He has been the subject of an Interpol Red Notice since about 2013.
One of Ching’s lawyers told The Province they are of the opinion they are different men. But at the same time, they confirmed their client is somehow related to Cheng’s late father, Cheng Weigao.
The federal Liberal party isn’t so sure, and has launched an internal review to find out whether Ching is Cheng, and if any illicit gains have poured into party coffers.
“The party is taking it seriously in Ottawa, and there are actions to review the concern, and that is what is happening now,” said a well-placed source in the Liberal Party of Canada.
The confusing narrative centres on Beijing’s ongoing efforts to repatriate fugitives living abroad, which began several years ago with a wave of Red Notices issued by Interpol on Beijing’s request. Then last week, in a fresh crackdown dubbed by Beijing as Operation Sky Net, the names and faces of more than two dozen Chinese fugitives wanted on an assortment of alleged corruption charges and believed to be living in Canada were broadcast.
In each instance, Cheng’s grinning face, with its distinctive mole near the right eye, was among the accused. His alleged crime: political corruption.
The Province began asking about the man in the Interpol Red Notice back in February. The trail quickly led to Vancouver lawyer Lawrence Wong, who represents Michael Ching, the president of Mo Yeung International Enterprise Ltd., a Richmond, B.C. ,based development company.
During an interview, Wong said his client is not the same person featured in the Interpol Red Notice. He did confirm, however, that Ching is related to the late Cheng Weigao, the former governor and Communist party chief of China’s Hebei Province whose career ended in disgrace in 2003 amid allegations of corruption, bribery and strong-arming.
Cheng Weigao had one son: his name is Muyang Cheng.
Wong would not comment on the picture of Muyang Cheng that is attached to the Interpol notice. And further questions about his client, including how he is related to Cheng Weigao, whether Ching is a Canadian citizen and whether he has ever changed his name were referred to David Lunny, another of Ching’s lawyers.
“The Chinese authority was doing this anti-corruption campaign, so somehow some old names popped up again,” Wong said. “We take the position that it is a different person ... This thing was going on for the past 10 years so we are still at the stage of clarification as to what is going on with this.”
In a letter to The Province dated Feb., 17, Lunny wrote that the questions, which were sent via email, were “highly intrusive.”
In the letter, Lunny confirmed that Michael Ching also goes by the name Mo Yeung Ching.
“We are authorized to inform you that, in order to protect his (Ching’s) privacy, our client declines to respond to these questions,” the letter read. “This letter it to notify you of our client’s objection to the publication of any defamatory article or statements.”
Last Friday, Lunny confirmed his office was aware of the latest Chinese government’s anti-corruption notice and repatriation efforts.
“While wishing to maintain his privacy, our client denies all allegations of wrongdoing,” Lunny wrote in an email. So who is Michael Ching? On paper, Ching is the president, secretary and sole director of Mo Yeung International Enterprise Ltd., which was incorporated in 2000, records show. The name Mo Yeung Ching is used in the directorship records.
He lives in a multimillion dollar home in Vancouver and has donated regularly to both the B.C. Liberal party and the Liberal Party of Canada. In 2008, he was mentioned in a speech delivered before the House of Commons by Raymond Chan, then the Liberal MP for Richmond.
The company has developed “over 11 million square feet of real estate projects in Canada the United States and Asia,” according to its website. It is behind several large developments, including the International Trade- Centre and River Rock Place, both located in Richmond, and Collection 45, a “boutique building” in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood.
According to its website, the company is also associated with the Zendai Group, a Shanghai-based “private conglomerate” that specializes in asset management, real-estate development and micro-finance that manages “over $5 billion” in assets globally, according to its LinkedIn page. Another company listed as an associate company on the website is AuXin Resources, a mining-investment group with interests in the Yukon and Ontario.
Corporate records show that a Mo Yeung Ching was a director of AuXin Resources until August 2013, when a new director was named. Trading records listed on Auxin’s website indicate its stock started trading in 2010 for about 22 cents and it has not traded since March 2013, when shares were traded at just three cents. According to corporate records one
of the company’s directors is Stanley Wong, a Vancouver certified public accountant.
The Province contacted Wong last Friday and asked him questions about Mo Yeung Ching. Wong said he is now listed as director of Auxin, but said that “Mo Yeung Ching is still the president.” Wong said Auxin is a private company and he could not explain why it is not being traded now.
The Province asked Wong if Mo Yeung Ching is Michael Ching, the Vancouver and Richmond developer who has been involved in fundraising with former MP Raymond Chan for the federal Liberal party.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Wong said. “That’s possibly correct. So far what you said.”
The Province asked Wong if he is aware that Michael Ching is believed to be Muyang Cheng, the son of the former Hebei governor Cheng Weigao.
“Well, then I don’t know,” Wong said with a chuckle. “That part I don’t know, yeah.”
Electoral finance records show that Ching and his company have over the years contributed thousands of dollars to both the Liberal Party of Canada and the B.C. Liberal party. In 2008, Mo Yeung International Enterprise Ltd., donated $300 to the winning campaign of Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie, financial records show.
A spokesman for the Federal Liberal party would not comment on whether Ching is a member of the party, citing privacy considerations. But a well-placed Liberal party source said unproven allegations about Ching have circulated within the party for years, but that they’ve “always been directly refuted by Mi- chael and his lawyer.”
“Michael Ching as far as I know got quite involved around the time of the Trudeau leadership,” the federal Liberal source said. “He had supported Raymond Chan before that, but most of his support (of the LPC) was after 2012. From a Liberal perspective, this guy is seemingly quite connected across business and politics in Greater Vancouver.”
Financial records of offshore tax haven companies leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists show that a Mo Yeung Ching is associated to an address in Hong Kong and is a director and shareholder of an “offshore entity” with links to a number of other offshore companies and clients.
The South China Morning Post reported in 2003 that former governor Cheng Weigao was widely seen as a close associate of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
A commission found Weigao had taken advantage of his position to interfere in “government’s administration” in arranging favours for his son and other parties. Cheng Weigao died in 2010.
The RCMP declined to comment on this story and the Vancouver Police Department said it had no information to share. Efforts to contact Interpol and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China were unsuccessful. The Chinese embassy in Ottawa referred all quires to the consulate in Vancouver.
China’s deputy consul general to Vancouver, Fan Xiaodong, said China and Canada have been working cooperatively on repatriating Chinese fugitives and those who are involved in serious corruption cases. He said the countries share similar attitudes toward fighting crime, noting Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said that Canada will not become a paradise for criminals.
Fan denied the two countries have reached deals on how much each would share on the proceeds of crimes. Of Operation Sky Net, he said the consulate general in Vancouver doesn’t know anything about the Mu- yang Cheng case.
China’s latest crackdown on corruption has produced some sensational headlines. Last week, Qu Zhang Mingjie, the mother of Vancouver-based pop star Wanting Qu, was arrested in China on corruption charges. Wanting Qu is the girlfriend of Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson.